Trent Caufield
by Euterpe
Summary: Just something I wrote for English class last year. I think it would be interesting to see what other people thought of my story too.


This was an English report I did last year when I read Catcher in the Rye.   
  
Trent Caufeild  
By Larkin Mullin  
  
I don't suppose you want to know how I met Daria. I don't think it's all that important. All you really need to know is that we met at a Mystic Spiral concert. That's all I remember, so that must be all there is.  
Ever since my high school graduation, I feel like I haven't been doing much with my life. Mystic Spiral's doing okay, but I spend most of my days sleeping and even more nights doing the same. Sometimes, Janey tells me that's all I ever do: Sleep.  
Well today, Jesse and I are going to change that. We're going to go job hunting in Bakersfield. We're thinking of moving the band out there. Renting an apartment. Starting over. Getting out of out parent's houses. Or maybe not. But we all could use some extra cash. You know how it is.  
Daria's been coming around less and less frequently. Janey seems pretty upset about that. She really likes Daria. I think Daria's pretty cool myself, so I can understand her disappointment. I'm kinda disappointed myself, ya know?  
Daria's one of the few girls I can really talk to. She's so mature though. Sometimes it's scary; like she can see into your soul, but won't tell you what she finds. It's frightening to know someone knows parts of me that even I don't know.  
That's why I used to opt for a more humble girl: Monique. She was interesting enough, and a good kisser too, but she just didn't excite me any. There was no mystery. I know she couldn't see past my eyes; she rarely looked into them. For a while, that was okay, but now... I don't know. Her games are getting old.  
But I can't seem to completely let go. You know how it is. you don't want anything to change and get more complicated, but logically, you know there's better out there.  
But then what do you do if you don't know where the better is? What if it's not even out there? What if you travel sixty miles to Bakerfield only to learn that the best you'll ever know is still in Lawndale?  
Well you never know till you try, though. So I'll give Bakersfield a chance.  
Maybe I should consult Daria on this, to get a glimpse into what my soul thinks I should do. I don't see her enough anyway. My soul is feeling a little to secret.  
It's a strange feeling though: having your soul exposed. It's like standing naked in front of a spotlight being judged on every act you've ever committed by a judge who's seen it all. Then, after all that humiliation, all the judge tells you it to get dressed and do what's right. She doesn't tell you if she likes what she saw, or if you're next on death row. She doesn't even tell you what the right thing is.  
But she does help me discover for myself what the right thing is.  
It's a very humbling experience. If Mystic Spiral ever hits it big, I think I'll have to take Daria with me everywhere. Help me keep it real. If nothing else I'd have a great friend and an inspiration for songs. In the end, that's the most important thing in the world to me.  
I think Janey's realizing that too. She really misses Daria. Her painting have been reflecting that recently. I worry about her sometimes. I know she can take care of herself, but her partner in crime is always out there with Tom.  
Now there's a subject I'm not fond of. If you've never seen a phony in all your life, you'd still know immediately that Tom was one. He even goes to private school. But all those years with all boys never taught him how to treat girls. Like breaking up with my sister before you kiss her best friend.  
I think Daria's sometimes a bit more unnerved about that incident than Janey is. Daria's morals are so high that when she herself doesn't meet them, it can send her whole thought pattern into chaos.  
Like that night she yelled at me. I think deep inside she knew that I was right. Tom did like Daria. But it went against her morals so much to even acknowledge it that she lashed out at the suggestion and whoever was making that suggestion. And that person happened to be me.   
I know Daria's a lightweight, and I could defend myself if need be, but that night I was scared. Nothing anyone could physically do to me was as terrifying as Daria Morgandorffer glaring at me with a fire so strong I felt like a pile of kindling ready to go down with the slightest spark of her anger.  
She's a strong girl and no matter what happens I know she's left a big, black bootmark on my soul.  
In any case, Jesse's here. We got the tank to go to Bakersfield. We're hoping to get pretty decent jobs. Maybe in music.   
But you know, whatever. 


End file.
